


A Song for My Love

by nicetomeetmew



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brotherly Love, But it's Mild, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Music, Soft Legend, and that's saying something, let these boys bond, not beta read we die like musical heroes, sky can and will drag your feelings out of you, sky is mum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26537980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicetomeetmew/pseuds/nicetomeetmew
Summary: Sky and Legend discover they have something in common and Sky learns a secret that the vetern holds close.Or:- Sky and Legend bonding over music because I can. And also there isn't enough bonding with these two.
Relationships: Legend & Sky (Linked Universe)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 121





	A Song for My Love

**Author's Note:**

> I need a little angst break heh. This ended up a teeny bit more angsty than I intended but it's mostly fluff. And hurt/comfort but it's a start right? Anyway I hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> (Please forgive any glaring mistakes, it's 3:30am I'm sorry)
> 
> Note to anyone reading Soldier, Poet, KIng:- chapter 7 is still being finished. I'm sorry it's taking so long but I should have it out soon. Thank you for your patience :)

Legend was a strange person. That was really the only way Sky could think to describe the pink-haired hero. He was brash, he was rude, and he was easily one of the most outspoken people he had ever met. But that was not what Sky found strange about him. It was the way he sometimes sat, lost in thought. The way he froze that time he passed a bush of red flowers in Wind's Hyrule. The way he flinched when thunder had clapped in the distance earlier that very day.

It was all very strange. There was clearly far more to Legend than met the eye and Sky couldn't help but wonder just what had made him the way he was.

* * *

It was very rare that something woke Sky up. The other heroes had no doubt he could sleep through a war given the opportunity. So, when the young man found himself staring up the star-studded sky, the world around him quiet except for the crackling of the dying fire and the steady sounds of his companions' breathing, he was confused.

Yawning heavily, Sky sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced around dozily, trying to find whatever disturbance that had prompted his awakening. In the dimming glow of the flames, he could just make out seven sleeping bodies scattered around the clearing the had made their camp in that night.

Wait. Seven?

His eyes fell to the spot beside Hyrule. The traveller was clutching what Sky assumed was a bedroll, although it was clearly not housing anyone. Only one person slept next to Hyrule.

The beginnings of concern bubbled in Sky's stomach. He reluctantly cast aside the warmth of his blanket and started to carefully pick his was across the camp. And then he paused. Looking back around he realised that Legend was the only one missing. And then it clicked in his tired brain. Of course, he was. It was his watch.

Mentally kicking himself for sabotaging his own slumber, he began to wearily slink back over to his spot, when a sound floating on the breeze caught his ear. There was something oddly familiar about it. It almost sounded like... music?

It _was_ music. A soft, gentle melody drifted around him, emanating from a break in the trees. Sky brief recalled Legend heading off in that direction when he took up his watch. With curiosity taking over every part of his mind that told him to just _go back to bed_ , he wove his way around the others, peaking from behind a tree in the hopes of finding the music's source.

The break in the trees led out to a cliff that overlooked the vast expanse that was the ocean. A silhouette sat on said cliff, the moonlight just barely making it clear who it was.

"Legend...?" Sky whispered to himself.

Carefully, he tiptoed closer, the music gradually getting louder and clearer as he did. At least that confirmed where it was coming from.

As he drew closer to the veteran, the woeful whispers of the song surrounded him, filling him with equal feelings of sorrow and wonder. Just what was he playing?

Legend had still not noticed the other approaching and Sky hesitated. He was clearly in a land of his own. Who was he to break him out of it? It didn't matter how curious he was. Slowly, he began to back away when a loud snap resonated through the air.

The music cut off abruptly, replaced with the sound of a sword slicing through the air. Sky yelped as the gleaming red blade of Legend's sword pointed directly at his throat.

"Wait, wait! It's just me!" he cried hurriedly, rapidly backing away. Legend's face faded from defensive, the surprised, to straight up angry.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I uh... I... stepped on a branch?"

Legend rolled his eyes, sheathing his blade. "Gee thanks. That wasn't obvious at all." He dumped the sword on the ground, before glaring up at the chosen hero, arms crossed. "What are you doing here? Could Sleeping Beauty not get his rest tonight?"

Deciding to step around the insult, Sky fumbled with what to say. Eventually, he sighed.

"I think you woke me up."

Legend scoffed, plopping back down on the cliff edge. "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"I heard you playing music," Sky insisted. He could've sworn he saw Legend freeze for a moment, before he turned away with a snort.

"Sounds like someone really does need to catch up on his sleep."

"Then what's that?" Sky pointed to the small, tan-coloured object that sat by the red-clad hero's side. As soon as it was mentioned, Legend scooped it up, cradling it out of view.

" _That_ is none of your business."

Unsure whether it was because of lack of sleep, Legend's flippant attitude, or him being so obviously secretive, Sky felt an unfamiliar feeling of irritation building up inside him. He knew fine well he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep until he knew what the other was up to. Without hesitation, he strode forward, settling down on the edge next to the younger teen.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Legend groaned. Sky didn't miss the way he shifted his hand, hiding whatever it was he was holding further from view.

"I'll go if you tell me what you're hiding," he stated simply. Legend shot him a clearly unconvinced look, but Sky ignored him, contently swinging his legs above the ink-black void below.

Several moments ticked by, until the silence was eventually broken by a heavy sigh. Sky glanced over to see Legend pulling the small object out of the folds of his tunic, quickly recognising it as an ocarina.

"There," the veteran said shortly, snatching it back as Sky reached out to touch it. "Can you leave now?"

"Nope."

Legend whipped round, fury building up in his eyes. "You said-"

"I said I'd go if you tell me what you're hiding. You haven't told me anything. So, I'm not going anywhere."

"I thought you were supposed to be the nice one," Legend muttered darkly, fidgeting with the clay instrument.

Another silence fell heavily between the two. With each passing second, Sky worried he was pushing this too far. They all had their secrets after all. There was nothing that gave him the right to try and pry this one out of him; besides his desire to have a good night's sleep.

And then Legend began to play.

Once more, the lilting notes of the ocarina filled the air, wrapping themselves around the two heroes like a comforting blanket. Sky glanced over, watching in awe as Legend's fingers danced across the instrument, his eyes closed, a peaceful look on his face. It was so strange. In the moment, with music swirling all around them, Legend seemed like a completely different person. The same person who he caught glimpses of every now and then when the other didn't know anyone was watching him. Someone... kinder, gentler, than the young man they had all come accustomed to.

When the song came to an end, the wistful melody fading out into the sea breeze, Sky saw something he never, ever, thought he would see.

Legend was crying.

Sky stared in stunned silence as Legend roughly wiped away the tears that dripped down his cheeks. He sniffed, keeping his gaze fixed firmly straight ahead.

"Will you go now?" he asked quietly. Sky regarded him for a minute before following his gaze across the ocean.

"Do you want me to?"

Legend paused, before giving him a single, wordless shake of his head.

"Then I won't," Sky replied, crossing his legs and settling back comfortably.

With a shaky breath, Legend wrenched his gaze away from the horizon and back to the instrument settled on his lap.

"Someone taught it to me. That song. It feels like it was a lifetime ago, but I guess it hasn't been more than a couple of years."

"Some special to you?" Sky asked softly. A sad smile tugged at Legend's lips.

"You could say that." He sighed, burying his head in his hands. "It's all my fault," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sky was at a loss. He liked to think he was normal good in situations like this but seeing Legend so... _vulnerable_ had thrown him way off course. Slowly, he reached out, carefully laying his hand on the other's back. A flicker of panic flashed through him when Legend flinched at the touch, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared when he didn't pull away. The two sat like that for a while, the only sounds being the waves crashing far down below and the occasional sniffle coming from Legend.

After goddess-knows how long, the veteran lifted his head, shrugging Sky's hand off. He stared unblinking down at the waves, just barely visible in the moonlight.

"I'm afraid of storms," he said, voice void of emotion. He took a deep breath, shifting his eyes up to the sky. It was completely clear, the stars and moon gleaming brightly above them, but Legend glared up at it like lightning would split it at any moment.

"I was travelling away from Hyrule. I was out at sea and this storm came from out of nowhere. Lightning struck my boat and I was shipwrecked. I woke up on an island..." He trailed off, picking at the edge of his tunic. "I was woken up by a girl. Her name was... was Marin."

He shook his head suddenly, as though trying to force his emotions out of himself before continuing.

"I don't know how long I spent on that island with her. But it was..." Sky gingerly rested his hand on the other's arm as his eyes grew misty. Legend shot him a small smile. "Those days are some of the best memories I have."

"What... what happened?" Sky asked haltingly. Legend's face darkened.

"It wasn't real. None of it was real. The island, the people, Marin... it was all... just a dream." His hands tightened around the ocarina. "That song... the one she taught me, it's the only thing that's left of her. And it’s all. My. Fault."

"IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!" he screamed, yanking his arm away from the other hero and curling into himself, his shoulders shaking as angry sobs wracked his body.

Sky hovered helplessly as Legend's muffled cries echoed in the night air. He berated himself for pushing the other so far. Why hadn't he just left it alone? No good night's sleep was worth seeing the pain that the other was in. Words tripped over themselves in his brain as he tried frantically to think of something, _anything_ , to say to calm him down.

He slowly, gingerly, reached out yet again, resting his hand on Legend's trembling form. When he didn't pull away, he inched closer and closer until, before he could fully register what was happening, the veteran surged forward, burying his face in the older teen's chest.

He was hugging him. Legend was _hugging_ him.

_What do I do, what do I do, what do I do_ , Sky thought, panicked. Legend didn't hug anyone. He'd even said so himself once, when Wind had attempted to capture him in a tight embrace.

"I don't do hugs," he had said snarkily, pushing the boy away before stalking off.

But now here he was, clinging to Sky like a small child, letting his tears soak into his tunic. And Sky was at a total loss.

Hesitantly, he rubbed his hand soothingly across Legend's back prompting a quiet, shaky sigh from the younger hero. Throwing caution to the wind, he closed his arms around him, holding him tightly as his sobs slowly but surely faded into tiny sniffles.

Minutes passed, or it could've been hours. Sky had no idea. At some point he realised he was gently rocking Legend as he held him. He froze, bracing himself for some form of tongue-lashing from him, but it never came. Perplexed, but not about to question it, he sat there, contentedly rocking until, eventually, Legend pushed him away, dragging his sleeve across his face. He clutched his tunic tightly, knuckles turning white, as he tried to steady his breath. Finally, he looked up, a dangerous glint in his eye, albeit far less effective than usual thanks to the tear tracks staining his cheeks.

"Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you."

Sky let a quite laugh. "I don't doubt it."

Legend sighed heavily, shuffling back to his position on the cliff edge, pulling his knees to his chest as he stared up at the moon. The chosen hero returned to the spot next to him, following his gaze. Silence settled one more, although it was far lighter and pleasant than it had been before.

"Can I ask you something?" Sky asked, not looking away from the moon. Legend hummed in response.

"That song..." he paused as he felt Legend stiffen beside him. He glanced over to see the veteran clutching his ocarina tightly to his chest.

"Why do you act like it's a bad thing?"

Legend's head shot up, staring pure daggers into his eyes. Sky automatically felt the desire to cringe away, but help firm, staring hard back at him.

"You don't seem upset when you're play it," he continued, holding his ground as much as he could with a look of pure fire boring into his soul. "You should see it as something good."

"And why's that?" Legend snapped. "Did you listen to my story or did your head float up into the clouds again?"

Sky glared at him. "Let me finish," he said firmly. Legend opened his mouth to retort once more but Sky soldiered on. "You said that... Marin?" He cast a questioning glance over to him, unsure if he had the name right. Realising that he was clearly not getting out of this, Legend sunk back, nodding slowly.

"You said that Marin taught you that song," Sky carried on. "And I you had a point when you said that it's all you have left of her. But you're looking at it wrong. You should look at it like it's a gift. Something you can use to remind yourself of her."

"That's why I play it," Legend mumbled. Sky shook his head, exasperated.

"Yes, but you're using it to punish yourself. You're allowed be happy you know,"

Legend scoffed, turning away. "Right."

"You _are_." Sky grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at him. "You can use that song to remember the happy times from that island. You don't need to focus on the bad parts." Legend said nothing, pulling his arm away. A thought struck Sky.

"Wait right there," he said suddenly, jumping up before Legend could say anything else.

Sky picked his was back across the camp towards his belongings, relieved when he noticed everyone else was still asleep. He dug in his bag, fingers closing around the cold metal of one of his most treasured belongings.

Legend glanced up as Sky made his way back over to him, cradling his harp in his arms. The veteran raised his eyebrow as he settled down, fingers poised on the delicate strings.

"Are you planning on strumming my troubles away?"

"In a way," Sky replied, running his fingers across the elegant metalwork. With a deep breath, he began to play. With practised ease, his fingers plucked at the strings, the familiar song filling his ears and his heart. He closed his eyes, an image of Zelda appearing before him, her voice playing in his head, so clear it might as well be real. Everything else; Legend, the cliff, the other heroes slumbering nearby; vanished. It was just him and Zelda together, the song of the goddess swirling around them.

He opened his eyes, still playing, glancing over at the veteran who was watching him with an unreadable expression on his face.

He strummed the final note, a warm glow settling within him. No matter how much he missed her, playing that song, her song, always brought him joy.

He rested his harp on his lap, turning to Legend with a smile.

"What was that song then?" the pink-haired hero asked.

"It reminds me of Zelda," he said softly. "I play it when I miss her."

Legend looked down at the golden harp, brow furrowing. "Doesn't it just make you miss her more?"

Sky shook his head, still smiling. "It's like I can hear her sing when I play. She has a lovely voice," he added wistfully.

"...you hear her sing?" Legend echoed quietly, glancing away.

"Well... it feels like I can at least. It makes me feel closer to her. And that makes me feel better. Does that make sense?"

Legend stayed silent, running his fingers over the holes of his ocarina.

"Marin would sing," he whispered. He smiled sadly, eyes growing misty. "Her voice was beautiful."

"But I don't hear her voice when I play," he added, sceptically eying his companion.

"Maybe that's because you're trying not to."

"I'm starting to think you're making stuff up, lover boy," Legend huffed.

"You can't say that until you prove otherwise," Sky pointed out. He looked pointedly at the ocarina still held tightly in Legend's hands. Legend pulled it closer to him, frowning.

"Why don't you teach me?"

Legend looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

"Your song. Teach it to me." Sky pulled the harp back into playing position, looking at Legend expectantly. The veteran regarded him incredulously.

"What are you hoping that's going to do?" he asked. Rather than answer, Sky started to pluck at the stings, trying to recall the melody Legend had played earlier. Legend shook his head, exasperated.

"You suck at this."

Sky kept going. "Sounds like you had better show me what's right then?"

"You really are a pain in the ass," Legend groaned.

Sky's attempt at the song continued, each out-of-key note prompting a wince from the other hero. Until finally...

Sky halted as once again the ocarina began to play. He closed his eyes, embracing the sound, letting it fill his mind and flow down through his fingers. He tentatively plucked a single string, happiness lighting up within him when it harmonized perfectly with Legend's tune. He could feel the other teen's eyes on him, but he ignored him, letting the music take over his hands.

The combined sounds of the harp and the ocarina took over the night, the melody as pure and beautiful as the starlight shining down on the two heroes

The music continued, the woeful strains from before lost as the duet produced a sound of joy and hope. Sky smiled as the ocarina began to fade out, slowing his fingers on the strings. Next to him, Legend lowered the ocarina. Tears had welled back up in his eyes but this time, a tiny smile played at his lips. A true, rare, genuine smile. He turned to Sky, his smiling lighting up his eyes in a way Sky had never seen before.

"How was that?" the brunette asked, returning the smile.

Pink crept up Legend's cheeks and the veteran looked away, wiping at his eyes. "It was... nice." He started to say something else when he was interrupted by a loud yawn. Sky shot him an amused glance.

"I thought I was supposed to be the tired one."

Legend rolled his eyes. "It's an been almost an hour since my watch ended. Technically it's-" Another yawn cut him off. "Your fault," he finished sleepily.

"You go sleep. I'll take over," Sky offered.

"You?" Legend retorted. "Sure okay."

"No really. Go to sleep. Besides." He grinned down his harp. "I'm not tired anymore."

Legend regarded him for a long minute before heaving himself to his feet. He looked down at the other hero, something akin to confusion in his eyes.

"You're not going to say 'I told you so' or something?"

Sky chuckled softly. "No. I don't need to," he said, strumming the strings happily. "Sleep well, vet."

Legend snorted. "Yeah okay."

He started to stride away. Sky returned his attention to his music when he heard the footsteps stop.

"Sky?"

He turned slightly to see Legend staring at him, clearly struggling to say something.

"Yes?" Sky prompted.

"...thanks," he said quietly.

Sky smiled warmly at him. "You're welcome."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Music is something that I depend on so it feels nice to try and incorporate that into a fic. Comments/contstrucive criticism is always appreciated :)


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